BMC braces for flood of monsoon ills

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is now bracing for a flood of cases resulting from monsoon ailments, as it is planning to reserve beds at one of its jumbo Covid facilities. Civic health officials said, for now, they have dedicated eight hospitals in the city for treatment of patients suffering from dengue, malaria and leptospirosis, but a decision to reserve beds at jumbo facilities will be taken later this week.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani said that a decision to reserve beds at the jumbo facilities set up across the city for corona patients is currently being floated. “We are planning to reserve 800-1000 beds for monsoon diseases at each jumbo facility. In case the number of dengue, malaria and leptospirosis cases increases, this is our last option,” he said.

There are 4,000 to 5,000 beds available at the five jumbo facilities in Mumbai, which includes the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), NSCI Worli, Nesco Goregaon, Dahisar and Mulund.

Meanwhile, the BMC has allocated eight of its hospitals solely for the treatment of non-Covid cases and to handle the bulk of monsoon-related ailments expected to surge by the end of June. At least 8,000 beds have been reserved in these hospitals to handle treatment of seasonal diseases like leptospirosis, dengue, malaria, typhoid, gastroenteritis and cholera.

“We usually notice a surge in fever and viral infections three to four weeks after monsoon arrives. Malaria cases in Mumbai typically start rising by July and dengue cases by August. Leptospirosis cases become common once waterlogging is no

In addition to 8 dedicated hospitals in city for treatment of malaria, dengue and leptospirosis cases, civic body plans to reserve beds at one of its jumbo Covid facilities

ticed in parts of the city,” said health officials.

Kakani further said, the hospitals which are not exclusively treating Covid-19 patients will set up a separate monsoon ward with necessary precautions. “Some hospitals are catering to both Covid and non-Covid patients, so we have asked them to create a separate ward for monsoon diseases and to follow protocol to maintain sanitisation in those wards,” he said.

Of the 12,000 beds in civic hospitals, 4,000 have been reserved for Covid-19 patients. Nair Hospital will continue to be a dedicated Covid-19 hospital whereas KEM and Sion hospitals have been asked to admit all patients. A senior doctor at KEM hospital said a separate building or floor will be allocated to non-Covid patients.